Ironbound
by Shadowmaker7734
Summary: Jack's perfect Saturday was almost ruined when his mom came over to the base and Arcee left on a mission without him. But June delivered some good news though, his cousin was moving to Jasper. Thing is, Jack hadn't seen the guy for eight years. In the end, that was a Saturday Jack won't soon forget. / future OCxMoonracer and JackxArcee
1. Awkward

**Starts during episode 18,some changes made obviously. Notes at the bottom.**

**Yeah, I'm back.**

**Chapter 1: Awkward...**

This was supposed to be a good day for one Jack Darby. It was Saturday no school and thank GOD no KO Burger until Monday so it was supposed to be just him and Arcee testing some upgrades. And then about noon, June showed up and the day was gone with the wind. Ever since learning about the Autobots a few days earlier, June had been extra protective about Jack which caused the teenager to look over his shoulder every time he and Arcee wanted to go out for a drive. He wasn't proud of it but he was a teenager, rebellious and all that. So when on this Saturday morning his mother arrived at the Autobot base he knew things were not going to go his way and sure enough, he was right. Afer June questions how's it not safe for Miko to go with Bulkhead and it's fine for Jack to go with Arcee, the femme grows irritated and decides to go with Bulkhead to investigate a magnetic disturbance. As usual, Miko sneaks through the ground bridge with them. After Arcee called in for a immediate ground bridge she overheard the conversation between Jack and his mom.

"Why are you here mom? " Jack asked, an irritated look on his face, much like Arcee's. Deciding to ignore her son's tone she answered.

"Your tone aside, I wanted to surprise you. " before Jack could ask June continued "Your cousin is moving here. He'll be staying with us a few days until your aunt Charlotte takes care of some business and moves here. " this changed Jack's demenaor completely.

"Mark's moving here? To Jasper? " he asked in surprise "Why would anyone move to Jasper? "

"_Jack has a cousin? He never told me that. "_ Arcee wondered mentally why that never came up.

"Charlie says they grew tired of the city life and wanted to move somewhere more quiet. " June answered simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"Ummm, okay? " Jack still couldn't understand it but decided to ask Mark when he arrived "When's he getting here? "

"Sometime today. " June answered simply "That's why I came here to get you so we could go meet him. "

"Today? " Jack asked in surprise "But I was supposed to hang out with Arcee! " now, not to appear as if he didn't like his cousin, but the last time he saw him was eight years ago at their father's funerals. Mark was a year older than Jack but so withdrawn Jack barely managed talk to him. He was also very, very sick from what his mother told him later and would always shy away from dangerous activities or anything remotely fun. They also didn't have much in common other than being cousins. He loved his cousin but Jack had no idea what to do with him. He couldn't tell him about the Autobots since that would freak him out completely, and you know, government secret and all that.

"_We'll be here for a while Jack._ " Arcee spoke over the com-link "_You go meet your cousin and we'll talk later why you never told me about him. _" Jack could tell by her voice she was a little upset with him.

"Ummm, it never came up? " he answered awkwardly but got no response.

"We should hurry Jack. Mark could arrive any minute. " June said while looking at her watch.

"I guess... " Jack agreed in defeat and made his way to his mother's car "See you later Arcee. "

"_See ya'. " _and the link shut down. Jack felt a little bad about not telling Arcee but it never did come up in conversation. Jack and June entered the car and were on their way back to Jasper.

"Oh, one more thing,you two will be in the same grade, isn't that nice? " June asked, hoping toget her son in better spirits.

"He's a year older mom. " Jack answered lazily as he looked out the window.

"I know that Jack but... " June took a breath and continued "He was held back a year because of his illness. Spent a year in the hospital. "

"Oh... " Jack scratched the back of his head awkwadly "That's fine, I guess. "

"I told him to meet us at KO Burger. " this caused Jack to jump in his seat.

"WHAT? Why would you do that? " he practically screamed at his mother.

"Well, he's new to town and it's hard to miss the only burger place. " June simply answered.

"Anywhere else would be fine mom! Like, the junkyard for example! " it was no secret Jack absolutely hated working there but they needed the money so he powered through it.

"You're funny Jack. " his mother laughed at her son's misfortune who grumbled in response, but the logic still applied. Mark was new to town and KO Burger was practically at the town's entrance and was pretty hard to miss "Anyway, he'll be driving a blue 69' Corvette so that's how we'll spot him. "

"Couldn't she just send you a picture? "

"My phone's old Jack, I can't view images. " before Jack could ask she continued "And I forgot my e-mail password... " she finished sheepishly. Jack chuckled lightly but knew his mom was bad with computers. The ride continued with idle chatter and before long they arrived at KO Burger. Jack groaned audiably.

"Literally any place else. " Jack complained while getting out of the car.

"It'll be fine, Jack. " his mother replied and looked around the parking lot. Sure enough, a blue 69' Corvette, that looked a little worse for wear, was parked not too far, no driver inside "He's here already. That was fast. " she wondered aloud and nodded towards the restaurant "C'mon, let's go. " Jack simply nodded and followed behind his mother. They went inside and the employees greeted Jack and wonder why in God's name would he be here if he's not working. After a quick explanation the looked around and tried to find Mark.

"Alright, he couldn't have changed much. Probably my height, blonde and scrawny. Oh, and glasses. " Jack said while scanning the burger joint for his cousin "See anyone like that? "

"No. " June responded while also looking for her nephew.

"Maybe because I'm not scrawny anymore. " a strong voice said behind them.

"Hey M- " Jack said turning around but when he saw who stood before him he stopped. This was not the cousin he remembered. Mark was now about a head taller than him, standing at about 6'3'' and looked like he worked out. His blonde hair was cut short and the begginings of a stubble were beggining to form on his face. He wore a black AC/DC t-shirt and blue jeans with black sneakers. Gone were the glasses and replaced by contact lenses that let the prominent blue Darby eyes shine through.

"What's the matter, JD? " he smirked at his cousin "You look like you've seen a ghost. "

"M-Mark? That's you? " Jack asked, still not believing him even though Mark was the only one who ever called him JD.

"You look great Mark. " June said warmly and embraced her nephew who returned the hug.

"You too, aunt June. " Mark looked back at Jack "Not scrawny anymore, am I right? "

"What happened? " Jack asked, slowly coming to terms that his previously scrawny and short cousin was this guy in front of him.

"Puberty. " Mark simply answered "And a lot of it. " he put his arm around Jack "C'mon, let's sit down so we can talk like normal people. " he said with a smile and ushered Jack to a free booth then sat down.

"So, Mark, how you've been? " June asked to get the conversation started. Truth be told, she hasn't seen him or his mom since the funerals and Charlie practically closed herself off from the world.

"Pretty good actually. " Mark raised an arm to call for the waitress "School's good, mom's good, life's good. " an elderly waitress came over and greeted Jack "So, what do you recommend? "

"Leaving. " both Jack and the waitress replied at the same time which caused Mark and June to laugh.

"Ummm, let's see... " Mark went over the menu and quickly realized something "I can't eat any of this. "

"Noone can. " the co-workers replied again.

"I mean, with my health, I have to watch what I eat. Soooo... Orange juice? " he asked hopefully.

"I'll get you fresh ones. " the waitress smiled and looked to Jack and June "I strongly recommend you follow his lead. " both Jack and June nodded and the waitress left.

"I'm surprised Charlie let you drive all the way here by yourself. With your health and all. " June was truly surprised since Charlie practically held him in a bubble.

"It took a lot, and I mean a lot of convincing. " Mark replied.

"Speaking of, how is your health? " June was a nurse but his condition baffeled even the greatest doctors. Apperently it was a genetic disease never seen before.

"Better than ever. " Mark answered "Still on a gazzilion pills but... It's under control. A little healthy food, fresh air and exercise does wonders. "

"Well then you'll be glad to hear we only eat healthy at our house. " June announced proudly.

"Really? What you got? " Mark leaned over the table.

"Tofu. " Jack answered in a flat tone.

"I love tofu! " June smiled brightly at his answer but that soon changed into a frown when Mark quitely mouthed to Jack _I hate tofu. _This got a laugh out of Jack.

"Great, now there's two of them. " June crossed her arms, pretending to be annoyed but a smirk gave her away.

"But enough about me, what are you guys up to? " just as the question was asked, the waitress came back with their drinks "It's on me. " Mark quickly interjected when he saw both Jack and June reach for their wallets. Before either could object, he handed the waitress the money "Keep the change and run fast. " she laughed and went to take another order.

"You didn't have to do that Mark. You're our guest. " June scolded him slightly.

"Call this a little thank you for letting me stay with you until mom arrives. " he took a sip of the juice "Tastes like orange. That's good. " Mark took another sip "Where were we? Oh! How have you two been? "

"Oh, you know. " June began "Working, paying the bills, trying to raise Jack into a responsible young man. "

"I wish you the best of luck. " Mark said in a teasing tone which made Jack frown.

"I'll have you know I'm a responsible young man. I even have a job. " Jack said and took a sip of his juice "It really does taste like orange juice. Weird... "

"Just messing with you JD. "

"I know, but... It's weird. " this caused both Mark and June to raise a brow "Last time I saw you, you barely said a word. I know it was... " Jack took a deep breath "I know it was a funeral, but you were so... Not like this. "

"Was that a compliment? " Mark asked scratching his head.

"I mean, it's good that you've opened up but it's still weird for me. " Jack sighed.

"I admit I was a little quiet in my younger days. " Jack raised a brow "Okay I was quiet as a church mouse but then things happened and here we are. "

"Guess it'll take some getting used to. "

"Then lucky for you, we'll have at least a month to bond, roomie. " Mark answered with a smirk.

"Just don't leave your dirty socks around the room and we'll be fine. " Jack answered and began to drink his juice.

"And what if I find your porn collection under the bed? " this caused Jack to nearly choke on his drink and made June laugh.

"Dude! "

"What? I'll let you look at my collection. " the blush forming on Jack's face caused June to laugh even more.

"You're sleeping on the floor. " Jack glared at his laughing cousin but wasn't really angry with him. He was happy that Mark opened up as opposed to last time. Perhaps this will be a fun experience after all.

"All jokes aside, I need to make a few stops before we go home. " Mark announced and took out a piece of paper.

"Don't you dare say the video store. " Jack said, carefully bringing the drink to his mouth.

"You do know there's internet now, right? " Jack only raised a brow and continued with his drink "Anyway, I need to buy some things I didn't bother packing. "

"Like what? " June asked and Mark handed her the list. June went over the list and realised it was mostly toiletries, medicine and reminders to check in at the doctor, school application and so on.

"We should be able to get most of this done today. " she said while reading "The doctor will have to wait until Monday though. "

"That's fine. I've seen my fair share of doctors. " after another sip of juice he added "This is good juice. "

"Spit-free, like it's supposed to be. " Jack answered with a smirk.

"You spit in the drinks? " June asked horrified.

"Not all of them. " Jack's smug reply got him a glare "I'm kidding mom! I'm kidding! " then he mouthed to Mark _I'm not kidding. _This got the group to laugh and continue with idle chatter. After they finished their drinks, the group decided to leave and went out to the parking lot.

"So, where to? " asked Mark while going to his car.

"To the mall, it has every store we need. " June said while getting into her car "Leave your car here,we'll drive you there. " Mark looked a little uncomfortable by this.

"Yeah, I don't like leaving her alone. " this caused June to raise a questioning brow.

"Her?" she asked.

"Well, you know, boys and their toys. " he laughed nervously "Fixed her up myself. When I found her at the junkyard she was a rusted piece of _scrap_. And now look at her. A classic! " he smacked the roof of the car and the door swung open, hitting him on his backside "Still needs some work, apparently. " Mark shut the door rather harshly and Jack thought the gag was timed too well.

"Well... If you say so. " June shrugged and closed her door, Jack just getting in. When they started their engines, the Corvette's roared so loud it sounded like it had 500 horsepower more than it needed. Both looked at him in surprise.

"New exhaust! " he answered and Jack _swore he _sawMark scold his car.

"Weird... " Jack said to himself.

"What's that? " June looked at her son.

"I-It's nothing, mom. Let's roll. "

"You've been hanging out with the Autobots too much. " she said with a laugh and took off "Don't think I don't know what scrap or frag means. " and there's another thing. Mark said scrap. It could just be a concidence but the way he said it made Jack wonder...

"Nah... " he quickly dismissed the thought and bukled his seatbelt. June took off for the mall and Mark followed closely behind. Looking in the rear-view mirror, Jack was now convinced Mark was talking to his car. Then again, he could also be singing but it still looked weird. They arrived at the mall and Jack saw the carof his nightmares. Vince was here "Figures... " then again, he was with his mom so Vince'll probably behave in front of her, as all jackasses do.

"Stay close, don't want you to get lost on your first day. " june motioned the boys to follow.

"Yes ma'am. " Mark nodded and both he and Jack followed. A question needed to be asked.

"Who were you talking to in the car? " Jack asked and Mark flinched.

"Uhh, noone. I was singing. " Mark replied, a little too casually but it seemed to satisfy Jack. The shopping went pretty much as expected, boring. Mark got everything he needed from the supermarket and then went to the pharmacy. He came out with a pretty big bag.

"Wow, you really weren't kidding when you said you were on a gazillion pills. " Jack looked inside the bag "What are these for? " he asked, pulling out an empty plastic container.

"I throw in the pills I need and down them in one go instead of carrying around 10 boxes. "

"Is that safe? " June asked a little concerned.

"Doc' says it's fine so... " he shrugged nonchalantly and continued "Okay, I think we have everything. I'll go drop this off and we can go for Ice cream. "

"You go and help him Jack, I have some shopping of my own to do. "

"We were just in the store mom. "

"It's supposed to be a surprise, if you must know. " she haned the bags she was carrying to Mark and Jack "I'll meet you here in a couple of minutes. " June left and let the boys as they were. The two simply shrugged and went to the cars. Once they arrived, Jack noticed that Mark opened his trunk and passenger door without using a key.

"You left it unlocked. " he saied while putting the bags into said trunk.

"Lock's broken. " Mark simply replied. Shrugging it off as another quirk by his cousin, Jack continued to load the bags when he heard the most annoying voice in the universe. Starscream didn't even come close.

"Hey, Darby! " as he lifted his head he saw Vince and his gang approaching, Sierra among them. Man that girl was hot "See you got yourself a new clunky piece of junk. " out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Mark gently placing a hand on the roof of his car.

"It's mine, actually. " Mark answered.

"Who are you supposed to be? " Vince asked in annoyance.

"His cousin. " Mark simply replied and walked to Vince and extended his arm "Name's Mark. " Vince accepted the handshake.

"Vince. Quite a grip you got there. " he tried to hide shaking his hand from Mark's firm grip.

"Wish I could say the same. " this caused Vince's friend to snicker behind his back "That yours? " Mark pointed to the black coupe with flames and walked towards it.

"Yeah. Best set of wheels you'll find in this lousy town. " Vince announced rather proudly and followed Mark.

"Custom Chrysler 300C coupe. " Mark said while inspecting the car "5. 7 liter V8 Hemi. Gives what, 300 horses? "

"380 actually. " Vince answered with a smug expression "Did a little tuning myself. " he said while inspecting his fingernails. Why do people do that anyway?

"I can see that. Then I guess the childish flames were your idea? " Vince's smug expression quickly turned sour and his crew laughed again.

"Shut up! " he yelled at them and they quickly stopped.

"Fit for a kid I'd say. " Mark's comments were making Vince angrier by the second. Jack could only think of the disasters Vince will unleash on him "All in all, big, heavy and powerful. Overcompensating much? " the crowd had to try real hard to keep from laughing.

"That's it! " Vince got in Mark's face "You! Me! Race! Right here, right now! "

"Mmmm yeah, no. " Mark simply turned and walked away leaing a dumbfounded Vince just standing there "I just got here and have more important things to do. "

"You chicken? " Vince taunted but Mark didn't react.

"If it helps your ego, yes. " Mark shrugged and closed the trunk of his car while Jack did the same with the passenger door. Vince was about to explode but Sierra intervened.

"Let's go Vince. I'm sure we'll find something better to do. " Vince looked at the cheer-captain and smirked.

"Yeah, anything is better than to stick around these guys. " he wrapped an arm around Sierra "Later losers! " they walked away and the crew stopped at Vince's car and talked among themselves.

"I can take him. " Mark simply said and headed towards the mall.

"Mark,don't. "

"Just saying. "he shrugged inresponse.

"I'm serious. I got into a race with him one time and it ended badly. " Jack couldn't tell him the truth of what happened so he left it at that.

"Really? " Mark stopped and a grin formed "The responsible young man JD got into a street race? "

"Please don't tell my mom. " Jack said pleadingly.

"Well that depends. "

"On what? " Mark placed his hands on his shoulders.

"What do you offer? " he asked a bit too happy about the revelation.

"Blackmail? Really? " Jack asked in a deadpan tone.

"I want to see your porn collection. " Jack continued to stare with a blank face "It's under the bed, isn't it? "

"I don't have a collection. " Jack answered.

"Relax JD. I'm messing with you. " Mark let go of his cousin and continued towards the mall.

"And it's still weird. " Jack answered in return. Just as they were about to enter the mall, June came out "Weren't we supposed to meet inside? "

"Yes, but then I remembered, if we're going for ice-cream I know this great little place just down the street. " June looked to the two boys, waiting for an answer.

"Um, sure why not. " Jack answered and looked at Mark who nodded. Making their way back again, they got into their respective vehicles. Sure enough, the engine of the Corvette roared so loudly it gave Vince and his gang a jump scare. Jack just had to laugh at Vince's dumbfounded expression. Mark simply waved to the bully and followed after June.

"What was that about? " June asked as they were driving, Jack looking in the mirror and seeing Mark apparently singing again.

"What? "

"Please Jack. I'm not that clueless, I know when boys measure their sticks. " Jack sputtered in surprise.

"M-mom! "

"That's the expression isn't it? " she asked nonchalantly.

"What? No! Please don't ever say something like that again! " Jack still couldn't believe his ears.

"Is that boy bullying you? " Jack's lack of response gave June her answer "You should talk to someone, Jack. "

"To whom? He's the schools golden boy, the teams quarter-back. " Jack crossed his arms and grumbled "Guy's better protected than a panda. "

"Well, perhaps now that Mark is here, he will lay-off a little. " June answered as she stopped at a red-light.

"What makes you say that? "

"Mark does present an imposing figure. " she looked at the rear-view mirror and saw Mark waveing to her with a goofy smile "Then again I could be wrong. " green came on and the drive resumed "From what I've seen, Mark's got your back. And, it'll make highschool more bearable with another friend around. "

"I guess you're right. " he looked back at Mark who was swaying side to side and still singing "He does seem a lot more cheerful than the last time I saw him. "

"I for one am glad he became more open and confident. " June looked at Mark behind them "Reminds me of his dad a little. " she smiled fondly "He was also a loudmouth. " Jack chuckled at the comment "And you Jack, you are like a mini version of your father. " Jack looked at his mom, trying to get every bit of information he could about his dad since he remembered very little about him, what with being young and his dad mostly traveling for work "Not just the looks, but... You're depandant, reliable, the voice of reason. I swear, those two were ying-yang personified. Sam was the lovable goofball and your father was the coolheaded responsible one. " a small tear escaped her but she quickly brushed it away "Sam and John. The Darby brothers wreacking havoc in college. "

"That's how you met? " Jack asked.

"Not officially. " she said smiling at the memory "I just started college and got invited to this party. "

"Never took you for a party girl. " Jack said in amusement.

"Hey, I was young once you know. " she said in mock hurt "Anyway, that's when I first saw the two. Sam was doing a keg stand and your father was timing him. "

"I thought you said dad was the responsible one. "

"He is but, again, college. " she shrugged in answer "And don't get any ideas. " she gave him a look which he quickly understood "I wrote them off as regular jocks but... My friend told me they were actually top of the class. "

"Engineers, I remember. " Jack responded and continued listening.

"So one thing lead to another and your father and I began dating. Once he finished college though he enlisted in the army. " June smiled fondly "He said he needed to help anyway he can. Sam said his brother was lost without him so they both enlisted. If you ask me, Sam was the one who was lost. " both chuckled at that "Eventually they came home, got office jobs for the army, Sam met Charlie, John and I got married, Mark was born and then you came along. "

"They weren't married? " Jack asked in surprise since from what he knew it was the right thing to do.

"Sam and Charlie didn't need a piece of paper to know they love eachother. "

"And I guess dad, being responsible, proposed? "

"And I said yes. " June was smiling again "Nothing fancy, just the two of us, a picnic under the stars. " she got lost in thought for a bit and almost missed the little ice-cream shop. Mark parked beside them and they went in. The ice-cream was good, like, really good. They stayed there for about an hour when June decided to call it a day.

"Time does fly when you have fun. " Mark said as they exited the shop. It was about 6pm.

"Sure does. " June replied and unlocked her car "Well, time to get you settled in properly. C'mon Jack. " just as she said it a message came to Jack's phone.

"Ummm, actually, you mind if I stay here and wait for Sadie? " June got the hint.

"Who's Sadie? " Mark asked and looked at Jack "Is she your girlfriend? "

"W-what? No! " Jack's cheeks went a little red.

"Called it. " Mark opened the door and got inside his car "See you later JD. " with a smirk he closed the door. This time the Corvette didn't start up like a fighter jet.

"Don't be long,okay? " June said while hugging her son.

"I won't mom. " Jack reassured her and she nodded in approval. He was in good hands. Servos. June started her car and drove home, Mark following closely behind. Jack's phone rang and he answered.

"_Hey partner. " _Arcee's voice came from the other side.

"Hey Cee'. Where are you? " Jack asked looking around to spot the blue motorcycle.

"_Just left the base. You? "_

"A little ice-cream place just down the street from the mall. "

"_I'll be there in ten minutes._ "

"Great, I'll see you then. Bye. "

"_Bye. _" and so Jack was left standing there for ten minutes not knowing what to do but walk in circles until Arcee arrived. Sure enough, after ten minutes or so he heard the familiar sound of Arcee's engine. Looking at the direction the sound came from he spotted Arcee with her Sadie hologram engaged "Hop on. I've had a rough day and I need to let off some steam. "

"Sounds good to me. " Jack recovered his helmet that was fastened to the back of the seat and put it on. Mounting Arcee they drove off towards the desert highway to let off some steam. And that meant speed. As soon as they were out of town, Sadie disappeared, Jack moved forward and they shot off like a rocket "What's got you in such a good mood? " Jack asked sarcastically.

"You will not believe the day I've had! " and so Arcee began explaining about the Polarity Gauntlet and how she was stuck to Bulkhead for most of the day "It's not funny, Jack. "

"It is from where I'm standing. " Jack chuckled once more.

"The curb? " Arcee replied.

"Point taken. " they continued the drive when Arcee decided to bring up a topic that's been on her mind since June arrived at the base.

"So... You have a cousin? "

"Ummm, yeah. " Jack answered sheepishly "Sorry for not telling you but it really never came up! "

"It's fine Jack. " Arcee answered and slowed down a little so it would be easier to talk "Still, it'd give us more to talk about. "

"As if our daily adventures weren't giving us enough material. " Jack said makin Arcee laugh a little.

"But still, he's your family and I'd like to know more. " Jack nodded in understanding "So, what's he like? "

"Very different than I remember him. "

"What do you mean? " Arcee asked, her side-mirror turnig towards Jack a little.

"The last time I saw him was at our dads funeral. " Arcee winced internally, remembering her snide comment on loss "Back then he was so closed-off from the world I barely got a few words out of him. I think it hit him more than it did me. "

"I'm sorry, Jack. " the side-mirror turned back and both lowered a little, showing she felt bad.

"It's fine, Arcee. You apologized already. " Jack gently patted her gas tank "I remember him as this scrawny, short kid with glasses and today I barely recognized him. He was so open, talkative, carefree, not to mention puberty hit him like a freight-train. "

"Things are looking up for him. "

"Yeah but it's still weird. He's like a completely different person now. " Jack sighed "I guess it'll just take a while to get used to. "

"How long will he be staying? " Arcee asked, hopeing not too long as to not ruin their driving schedule.

"About a month, then his mom arrives and they move to their own house. "

"Speaking of, who would want to move here? " Jack had to chuckle at her question.

"They're from New York, Arcee. Mom said they grew tired of the city life. And the fresh-ier air here is good for his health. "

"He's sick? " Arcee asked, a mirror looking back at him "Is it contagious? "

"It's genetic apparently. It can lay dormant for generations and suddenly pop up. " Jack took a breath and continued "Basically, the body can't sustain itself as it should. It affects most of the organs and even the blood cells. "

"Is it treatable? "

"Not as far as anybody knows. " Jack's expression grew somber "Medicine can help keep the body going but... Nobody knows for how long. " then a thought hit Arcee. If the disease was genetic, that means Jack could have gotten it as well. As if he knew what she was thinking he answered "Don't worry Arcee, I'm fine. "

"You sure? " she asked, sounding very concerned.

"It skips generations. Really, I'm fine. " he said reassuringly. Looking at her dashboard Jack's eyes widened in realization "Scrap! It's almost nine! " sure enough, it was already dark outside.

"I'm not about toget you grounded partner. Hold on tight! " Arcee immediately sped up, doing a wheelie in the process.

"WOOOOHOOO! " Arcee smirked internally, happy that Jack enjoyed himself. It took them a couple of minutes to reach Jasper so they were forced to slow down, lest they be stopped by a patrol. They were a few houses away from Jack's when Arcee suddenly and harshly slammed on the brakes "Hey! What gives? "

"Jack... There's an energon signature. " Jack's brow raised questioningly "It's coming from your house. " this got his full attention.

"WHAT? Is it Airachnid? "

"I don't know. " there was an edge to Arcee's voice. She opened the comm-link "Ratchet. Possible Decepticon at Jack's house. Have the team and a ground bridge ready. "

"_By the AllSpark. Optimus we have a situation! "_

_"What is it Ratchet?" _the Prime's strong voice was heard over the link.

"Possible Decepticon at Jack's home. " Arcee leaned slightly so Jack could get off.

"_But, there's nothing on my scanners. "_ Ratchet said confused.

"Trust me, it's there. "

"_Arcee proceed with caution. We are ready. "_ Optimus said, Bulkhead and Bumblebee already preparing their blasters.

"Affirmative. " she closed the link "Jack, stay here. "

"No way! My mom's in there! " Jack began walking towards the house. Arcee quickly blocked his path.

"It's not safe Jack! " Arcee transformed to her robot mode, now was not the time for subtelty.

"I don't care! " Jack ran between her legs and towards his house.

"Ugh! " Arcee groaned in frustration and followed after. She hoped noone would see her since it was dark and all house lights were out. They reached Jack's house and stopped in front of it.

"I don't see anything. " Jack said while inspecting his house.

"The signature is coming from the garage. " Arcee said readying her blasters. They approached the garage and Jack pulled out his remote, also grabbing the crowbar that was used whenever the garage door got stuck, then hid behind Arcee "Do it. " Jack pressed the button to open the garage door. The door began to lift and showed an interesting scene. There stood Mark holding a rusted old pipe like a baseball bat and next to him was a Cybertronian femme. She appeared to be taller than Arcee and a faded light blue in color. The femme was holding two pistols, not transformed blasters but actual pistols aimed right at Arcee. The four stood there looking at each other before realization began to sink in.

"Jack? " Mark lowered the rusty pipe.

"Mark? " Jack said equally bewildered and lowered his weapon of choice.

"Arcee? " the femme spoke and lowered her guns a little.

"Moonracer? " Arcee did the same with her blasters.

"You know each other? " both Jack and Mark said in tandem.

"Yeah. " the femmes responded in tandem as well. Arcee retracted her blasters and Moonracer holstered her pistols.

"Ratchet, false alarm. " Arcee said over the com-link.

"_See? I told you I didn't pick up anything on my scanners. " _Ratchet said smugly.

"Oh it's here alright but I don't have the strength or will to explain right now. I'll see you tomorrow. "

"_Arcee wa-"_ she closed the link before Ratchet goes hatchet.

"Jack,Arcee? Is that you? " all heads turned to the slowly opening door that lead from the garage into the house "I thought I heard transforming sounds comi- " the door opened completely and June saw her son, nephew, Arcee and a light blue Cybertronian femme having a mexican standoff. There was silence for about ten seconds.

"Awkward... " Mark said and dropped the pipe to the ground. June was looking at the four and sighed.

"I'll get the coffee started. We have a LOT to talk about. " June left without saying another word. The four had only had one thing to say.

"Frag. "

* * *

**A/N**

**Don't ask where I've been and what happened to Iron Savior and my other stories. This will be my ONE and ONLY story, sequels included.  
****Leave your thoughts and questions in the reviews.  
Yes I know the cover image isn't exactly Prime-style but it's the closest I could find for my vision.  
**

**See ya' next time!**


	2. A different point of view

**Notes at the bottom.**

**Chapter 2: A different point of view**

A lone, light blue, 69' Corvette drove through the dessert towards a small town called Jasper in the state of Nevada. The so called "Entertainment Capital of the World" didn't actually hold up to the brochure but it was nice enough. Inside the car was a teen named Mark Darby, 17 years old, ready to start his Junior year. You may think he'd be starting Senior year but our protagonist was held back a year beacuse of health reasons.

"Did you bring your medicine? " a female voice asked from out of nowhere which didn't spook Mark who was actually reading a book in the driver's seat, the car apparently driving itself.

"For the hundredth time, yes. " Mark answered in exhaustion "I have enough for a week and the first thing I'll do when we arrive is go to the pharmacy and get a monthly supply. " while adjusting his glasses.

"Just checking. " the car replied.

"You worry too much Luna. " Mark patted the dashboard and got back to his book. Okay so the Corvette isn't just a car. _Her _name is actually Moonracer and she is a Cybertronian, an advanced robot species that comes from the planet Cybertron. Technically she was from Velocitron, a Cybertronian colony, but I digress. A great civil war divided the bots into two groups: the heroic, freedom-fighting Autobots and the tyrannic, enslaving Decepticons. After Cybertron was lost, the Autobots scattered throughout the universe in seek of refuge and some landed right here on Earth.

"It took you a month to convince your mom to let you go on this road-trip and I don't want her to dismantle me and turn me into a wine-rack if something happens to you. " Luna replied but quickly realised her slip.

"That's oddly specific. Why would she dismantle you? " Mark asked while slowly lowering his book on _"How to repair VW Beetles for dummies"_

"Uhhh, well you know... Stupid car and never should have allowed him to go alone. " she replied quickly.

"Right... " Mark thought this was weird but let it slide.

"So, where are we meeting Jack and June? "

"A place called KO Burger. "

"Sounds...Tasty? "

"I've read the online reviews. You're lucky you don't have to eat. " Mark decided to set down the book "We'llmeet them at KO Burger and go from there. "

"And school? "

"Application sent and approved. I just have to meet with the principal on Monday and the fun begins. "

"And I get curb-side duty again. Yaaay... " Luna said sarcastically.

"At least we had a fun week,right? Traveled across the country, saw all kinds of things. "

"Yeah it was really fun. " Luna smiled inwardly but it quickly turned sour "If only not for _those_ two. "

"It wouldn't be a road-trip without some hick-ups. " Mark put on his seatbelt "Now, we still have some open road infront, how about you show me some of that famous Velocitron speed. "

"Is that a dare I hear? " Mark could sense the excitement in her voice.

"I dare you to hit the pedal to the metal. " Mark could hear the beggining of Black Betty by Spiderbait begin to play from the speakers.

"You asked for it! " as soon as the distrotion guitar kicked in, Luna's engine roared like a mighty beast and the shot off like a rocket!

"YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAH! " Mark yelled in excitement as Luna went faster and faster. But, as he expected, the fun ended when Luna reached about 180mp/h "LUNA! SLOW DOWN! " the femme immediatly knew what was happening and slowed down considerably. The glove compartment opened and Mark quickly grabbed a paper bag from it and hurled inside.

"You okay? " she asked in concern.

"Y-yeah... Eww. " Mark had to take a breath to collect himself "Hate this thing. " he rolled up the bag and tossed it into a plastic one "One of these days you'll show me your top speed without me having to puke. " Mark grabbed a bottle of water mixed with various vitamins and drank half of it "Tastes like dog piss. " he said in disgust.

"I shouldn't have gotten carried away like that. I know what high speed does to you. " she said apologetically.

"So do I, but I'm not made of glass Luna. " Mark took another sip from the bottle "I need to live a little before I... Don't. " he finished somberly. His case was a curious one. It was apparently a genetic disease that could lay dormant for generations and then suddenly appear. It made the body unable to sustain itself, basically it was deteriorating too quickly. It also affected the blood cells and you were more prone to common diseases. A healthy diet mixed with medicine, exercise and fresh air helps the body but it's difficult to predict for how long the treatment was going to work.

"But still- "

"Oh quiet you! " Mark playfully slapped the dashboard "I know you care and I appreciate that, but going 180 with you is one of the joys of my life. What's the point of being alive if you don't enjoy living? " Luna didn't respond but understood where he was coming from "Besides, I know you love going fast. And you're my best friend so I want you to be happy as well. "

"But I am happy! " Luna retorted.

"Really? " Mark raised a brow "Going 15 every day back and forth to school? " Luna remained silent "Or being cooped up in my garage most of the time? You were born for speed Luna. Don't slow down just because I have to. "

"Well you're my best friend too and I don't want you to suffer just because I can't keep it in my pants. " Mark burst out laughing.

"Where in the world did you hear that? "

"Isn't that what it means? Not being able to control your needs? " she asked in apparent confusion.

"I don't think the need for speed applies. " Mark had to wipe a tear from his eye "Keeping it in your pants means controling your... Sexual needs. " an awkward silence followed.

"Oh... " Mark could swear she was blushing. Luna knew how humans did the dirty and what it meant. Hey, when you have to wait in a parking lot for six hours you need something to do and sometimes the internet takes you to places... Dark places... "Anyway my point still stands. "

"Then let's just agree to disagree. "

"For now. " Luna ended the discussion but a thought formed in her head just as Mark began drinking his _water_ "Can you control your sexual needs? " he almost choked on his drink.

"Dammit Moon Moon! "

"I still don't get that. " she heard him say that multiple times but never understood what it actually meant.

"Then look it up, geez. " Mark was trying to wipe off the fluid from his black AC/DC shirt but realised it'll just have to dry on it's own.

"Hmmm... " Luna went online and quickly found what she was looking for "Heh, cute doggies. " she was ahuge fan of Earth's animal kingdom.

"Hey, looks like we're here. " sure enough, a sign that said Jasper, Nevada was closing in. Mark removed his glasses and put them in a little box to keep them from damaging. He took a smaller box from the passenger seat that contained his contact lenses.

"Only 2 miles to go. " Luna slightly increased her speed "I really need to stretch my servos after this. " she could already see the town in the distance "And why don't you keep the glases? I think they suit you. " Mark smiled slightly "Makes you look smarter. "

"And that, Luna, is what humans call an optical illusion. " a short silence followed until Luna understood.

"Oh I get it! Because glasses are optical enchanching devices and... Yeah I got it. " Mark had to chuckle at her expense. Moments like this were priceless.

"After we get settled in, I'll tell aunt June I'm going for a drive and we'll find an open field or something. " he blinked a few times to see if the lenses are good.

"What about Jack? "

"Don't worry about him. From what I remember he's a really cool guy. I bet he'll be hanging out with his friends anway since it's Saturday. " Mark decided to grab the steering wheel now, wouldn't want to arouse suspicion.

"I hope so. My servos are killing me! " another speed increase.

"Speed limits Luna. " Mark said calmly and got a groan in response. They finally reached Jasper. The brochure deffinitely lied.

"Is that the place? " Luna saw the infamous KO Burger on the left.

"Looks like it. " Mark started to turn the wheel to the left and Luna followed his lead. They parked in a free spot and Luna turned off her engine. Mark tried to spot his aunt and cousin "I don't think they're here yet. I'll go in since I need to use the little boys room anyway. "

"But you're not a little boy Mark. " she said like it was obvious.

"It's an expression. I have to pee. "

"Oh. Yeah, you go do that. "

"You really should brush-up on your Earth slang. " Mark opened the door.

"How do you brush- " she stopped mid-sentence "Another expression, got it. " Mark chuckled and left for the restaurant. He went inside and made his way towards the restroom.

"Customers only! " he heard someone yell but ignored it since he really, really had to go. Getting to the nearest stall he unzipped his pants and did the deed. However, just as Mark began, a searing pain came from his kindey, causing him to almost drop to the ground.

"This is new... " he said though gritted teeth. He powered through it and as soon as he was done, the pain was gone "Better not mention this to Luna or she'll freak out. " zipping his pants back up, Mark left the restroom and found an angry employee waiting just outside the door.

"May I take your order, sir? " he sounded annoyed due to the fact Mark ignored him when he entered. Mark salvation came in the form of two individuals he was supposed to meet here anyway.

"Yeah, just let us grab our seats first, thanks pal! " he patted the guys shoulder and went to meet his aunt and cousin.

Meanwhile outside, Luna was keeping watch and observing the trio inside the burger place. To her delight, Mark appeared to have a good time, his aunt was laughing and Jack was getting red in the face.

"_Probably Mark's doing._" she mused mentally "_If he were Cybetronian his name would be Motormouth. _" Luna chuckled to herself. Not really sure what to do with herself, Luna went online and decided to watch a docmentary on red pandas. Not even five seconds in "_I want one._ " setting her Energon scanners to high alert, Luna _leaned back_, as humans would say apparently, and watched the cute little red pandas going about their lives. The documentary was over just in time as Mark, Jack and June left KO Burger.

"So, where to? " she heard Mark say as he approached her.

"To the mall, it has every store we need. " June said while getting into her car "Leave your car here,we'll drive you there. " Luna knew he wouldn't leave her here in the parking lotso she waited to see what new excuse he'll come up with.

"Yeah, I don't like leaving her alone. " this caused June to raise a questioning brow.

"Her?" June asked.

"Well, you know, boys and their toys. " Mark laughed nervously and Luna thought _"How original. " _this was the most overused excuse Mark had up hi sleeve "Fixed her up myself. When I found her at the junkyard she was a rusted piece of _scrap_. " this did not sit well with Luna _"I'll show you piece of scrap._ " she thought mentally "And now look at her. A classic! " he smacked her roof and Luna swung the door open, hitting him on his backside "Still needs some work, apparently. " Mark shut the door rather harshly while Luna laughed to herself.

"Well... If you say so. " June shrugged and entered her car along with Jack. Mark got in as well.

"Piece of scrap am I? " Luna asked teasingly.

"Had to come up with something. " they could hear June's car start and Luna decided to have a little fun. Turning her engine on, she revved it as loud as possible to attract attention. Looking to the surprised Jack and June, Mark yelled "New exhaust! " the turned to the dashboard "Dammit Moon Moon! "

"Next time, choose your words carefully, Motormouth. " Luna said in satisfaction and they followed June to their destination.

"Motormouth? " Luna laughed audiably and Mark rolled his eyes "Tell you what, when you introduce me to your Autobot friends, you can get even, deal? "

"Deal. " Luna made a mental note to prepare a list for that special occasion "So, how was it? "

"It was nice. Jack's not how I remember, then again neither am I. "

"How so? "

"Well, he was this confident cool guy that tried to get me out of the dumps, now he gets red in the face when I mention porn. " Mark saw Jack looking at him from the rear-view mirror and began swaying side to side with no music.

"What are you doing? " Luna asked trying not to laugh and Mark replied in a sing-song.

"Pretending I'm singing, so he doesn't get suspicious, cuz' I'm talking to my car. " he even tapped his fingers on the wheel in some rythm "But I also changed, and it's weird for him too, it'll take some getting used to. " Luna was snickering "What's so funny? "

"Your singing. " Luna answered but it didn't deter Mark.

"It's like the voice of angels. " Mark continued as before.

"It's hilarious. "

"Oh what do you know, you Cybertronians only have dubstep. " thy reached the mall and parked beside June "I'll try and make this quick, then we go for a ride. " Mark got out and the trio went towards the mall. Luna could hear Jack ask Mark who he was talking to and he replied he was singing "_Debatable._ " Luna thought but remained silent as usual. Figuring she would be here for a while, Luna put on another documentary, this time on koalas. Lune swore to herself if she ever got the chance she would gather up all these cute critters Earth had to offer and cuddle with them till' the end of time. She managed to get through two documentaries this time, seeing as the humans were in the mall for two hours, before she saw Mark and Jack approach. She let Mark open the trunk and passanger door and that appeared strange to Jack.

"You left it unlocked. " he said while putting the bags into the trunk.

"Lock's broken. " Mark simply replied and Luna was satisfied with his, let's say, polite answer. That's when she heard the most annoying voice in the universe. Starscream didn't even come close.

"Hey, Darby! " Jack lifted his head and Luna saw some guy and his gang approaching "See you got yourself a new clunky piece of junk. " this did not sit well with Luna. She was ready to transform and scare the scrap out of the kid but Mark hand on her roof calmed her down a little and reminded her she needed to stay hidden.

"It's mine, actually. " Mark answered.

"Who are you supposed to be? " the guy asked in annoyance, Luna trying hard not to blast him.

"His cousin. " Mark simply replied and walked to him and extended his arm "Name's Mark. " to Luna's surprise, the guy returned the handhake.

"Vince. Quite a grip you got there. " Luna smiled internally as Vince tried to hide shaking his hand from Mark's firm grip "_Vince huh. Adding to target practice list._ "

"Wish I could say the same. " this caused Vince's friend to snicker behind his back, even Luna had to hold back not to be heard "That yours? " Mark pointed to the black coupe with flames and walked towards it "_That poor, poor car. _" then a thought hit her "_Thank Primus Mark found me and not this guy. Then again, I'd probably run away ASAP. "_

"Yeah. Best set of wheels you'll find in this lousy town. " Vince announced rather proudly and followed Mark "_Yeah, right. _" the fastest Cybetronian ever thought to herself. Technically second fastets but those were little details.

"Custom Chrysler 300C coupe. " Mark said while inspecting the car "5. 7 liter V8 Hemi. Gives what, 300 horses? " Luna was not impressed. Comapred to her this was a little toy car.

"380 actually. " Vince answered with a smug expression. Again, not impressed "Did a little tuning myself. " Vince said while inspecting his fingernails _"Why do people do that anyway?"_

"I can see that. Then I guess the childish flames were your idea? " Vince's smug expression quickly turned sour and his crew laughed again. Luna once again sent her sentiments to the poor vehicle.

"Shut up! " Vince yelled at his crew and they quickly stopped.

"Fit for a kid I'd say. " Mark's comments were making Vince angrier by the second, Luna thought his head's gonna' blow "All in all, big, heavy and powerful. Overcompensating much? " the crowd had to try real hard to keep from laughing while Luna had to do a quick internet search. Once she found the explanation she almost burst out laughing aloud.

"That's it! " Vince got in Mark's face, Luna getting ready just in case "You! Me! Race! Right here, right now! " _"Oh please let me race him! "_

"Mmmm yeah, no. " Mark simply turned and walked away leaing a dumbfounded Vince just standing there, Luna sighed to herself, knowing full well Mark wasn't going to start trouble over something like this "I just got here and have more important things to do. "

"You chicken? " Vince taunted but Mark didn't react.

"If it helps your ego, yes. " Mark shrugged and closed the trunk while Jack did the same with the passenger door. Vince was about to explode but a re-headded girl intervened.

"Let's go Vince. I'm sure we'll find something better to do. " Vince looked at the girl and smirked.

"Yeah, anything is better than to stick around these guys. " he wrapped an arm around Sierra "Later losers! " they walked away and the crew stopped at Vince's car and talked among themselves.

"I can take him. " Mark simply said and headed towards the mall. Luna nodded internally.

"Mark, don't. " she heard Jack say.

"Just saying. " Mark shrugged in response _"We'd leave him in the dust! _"

"I'm serious. I got into a race with him one time and it ended badly. " this seemed to catch Mark's attention.

"Really? " Mark stopped and a grin formed "The responsible young man JD got into a street race? "

"Please don't tell my mom. " Jack said pleadingly and Luna understood the boy. Mom could be terrifying.

"Well that depends. "

"On what? " Mark placed his hands on Jack shoulders.

"What do you offer? " Mark asked a bit too happy about the revelation.

"Blackmail? Really? " Jack asked in a deadpan tone.

"I want to see your porn collection. " Jack continued to stare with a blank face, Luna would've face-palmed if she could right now "It's under the bed, isn't it? "

"I don't have a collection. " Jack answered.

"Relax JD. I'm messing with you. " Mark let go of his cousin and continued towards the mall. Just as Luna was about to put on another documentary, she saw June walk out of the mall. After informing the boys she knew of an ice-cream place not too far away the group returned.

"Let me at him! " Luna said just as Mark closed the driver's door.

"Patience young grasshopper. " not really listening, Luna revved her engine as loud as before, giving Vince and his group a jump scare "Really? "

"Clunky piece of junk my aft. " she was pretty pissed about that. They followed behind June and Luna continued the conversation "Did you get everything? "

"Yep. All set. " Mark pretended to be singing again, just in case. It made Luna chuckle again "You usually like my singing. "

"Well yeah, but this sounds funny. " Mark frowned but continued nontheless.

"That Vince guy will be a pain in the ass. "

"The we should have taken him down a peg or two! " Luna was adamant about teaching that jackass a lesson he won't soon forget.

"Robots in disguise Luna, your words, not mine. "

"Arrgh! Fine! But next time he won't get off that easy! " Luna was now dead set to have that race. Mark saw June was looking at them from her rear-view mirror.

"Hi! " he put on a goofy smile and waved at her "I really hope that Vince guy isn't in our class. "

"At least you'll be together with Jack. " Luna saw no problem with Jack. A little shy sure, but all in all appeared to be a good kid. She knew Mark needed friends. Ever since the two of them met, Mark had spent every free second with her. She didn't mind since, like he said, they are best friends, but Luna still felt he needed more human friends. She couldn't just go to the movies or the mall with him, what with being a 17 foot tall robot and all that.

"And that's fine with me. " Mark looked at the radio "You know what, put on some real music, this is geting ridiculous. " Luna had just the thing and played Bad to the Bone. Luna had to hand it to these humans, the amount of music genres they had was astounding. She was really growing fond of this rock n' roll music. The song barely reached the half-time point when they saw June pull up to a small ice-cream parlor "I won't be long. "

"It's fine. Go and have fun. " Mark smiled and patted her dashboard before exiting. Luna looked at June's car parked next to her "_So, you come here often? _" she got no response "_You're getting park-crazy. _" wondering how to pass the time she opened YouTube and played a video where kittens and puppies were playing together "_Dawwww... _" yep, cuddle them till' the end of time. An hour of animal videos later, the three came out with pretty happy faces.

"Time does fly when you have fun. " Mark said as they exited the shop. It was about 6pm and Luna really hoped they were going to their new home.

"Sure does. " June replied and unlocked her car "Well, time to get you settled in properly. C'mon Jack. " just as she said it a message came to Jack's phone.

"Ummm, actually, you mind if I stay here and wait for Sadie? " June thought about it for a moment and nodded.

"Who's Sadie? " Mark asked and looked at Jack "Is she your girlfriend? "

"W-what? No! " Jack's cheeks went a little red.

"Called it. " Mark opened the door and got inside "See you later JD. " with a smirk he closed the door. This time Luna decided to ignite her engine normally.

"Don't be long,okay? " June said while hugging her son.

"I won't mom. " Jack reassured her and she nodded in approval. June entered her own car and drove off towards home.

"You should get a girlfriend. " Luna said absentmindedly.

"I don't need a girlfriend. " Mark scoffed at her comment.

"Why not? "

"I have you. " Mark could feel the wheel jerk a little "What I mean is, I don't need another girl telling me when to take my pills. Don't get your panties in a twist. "

"I don't have panties. " Luna said in confusion and Mark raised a brow "_Wait for it... _" "Oh... " "_There we go._ " Luna then continued "So that's what I am toyou? An alarm clock? " she asked teasingly.

"Would you really want me and some girl, driving you out to a secluded location, start making-out and perhaps do it on your back seat? " he got just the reaction he wanted.

"What? NO! BY THE PIT NO! " yeah, that would ruin any bots' day.

"Relax! I'd never do that to you. "

"Because you can keep it in your pants? "

"Exactly. And I respect you too much to do that. "

"Good. Otherwise you'd be walking home. " Mark believed her 100 percent. Still, it would be fun to see his _girlfriends _reaction on seeing Luna transform, cuss him out and then leaving them to walk home.

"Speaking of home, looks like we're here. " June was pulling into the driveway of a cozy-looking little house. Luna parked beside her but before Mark could get out, or even he engine stopped, June raised her hand in a stopping motion. June pulled out a small remote and a button-click later the garage door began opening. She got out of her car and walked to Mark and before he could ask she explained.

"I bet you wouldn't want _her _being outside. " Mark smiled sheepishly "And I noticed you didn't lock your car on multiple occasions. Lock's broken? "

"Ummm... Yeah. "

"Then get _her _inside and let's get you unpacked. " the smile he gave her made June roll her eyes and laugh "Boys. " Luna slowly pulled into the garage, turned off the engine and June closed the door behind them.

"I'll hurry and we go for that walk you oh so need. " Mark patted her dashboard and got out. The door betwe the house and garage opened and June walked in.

"C'mon, let's get your things and I'll show you where you'll sleep. " Mar simply nodded and they took his thinkgs. He really packed light, only two sport bags and a backpack. June took the bags from the mall and Mark took his bags "Right this way young man. " she lead him through the doors and up the stairs towards Jack's room "You and Jack will have to share a room since we don't have a spare one. "

"No problem at all. Just hope he warns me before he brings Sadie in for a make-out session. " June's eyes almost popped out but she quickly regained her composure.

"They're just friends, Mark. " June said, trying to sound really convincing. Mark raised a brow but decided to drop the subject.

"If you say so. " they reached Jack's room and went inside. The place was clean, and I mean apothecary clean "If you say sorry for the mess I'm walking out. "

"Well, I did say I was raising a responsible young man. " June said proudly while Mark put down his bags in the corner "There's and extra matress in the attic, I'll just go- "

"No, no, I'll get it. " Mark raised his hand and walked back into the hallway. He quickly found the string from the attic stairs and pulled on it. Slidding ladders appeared and he climbed up.

"Be careful! " June said from below. Mark quickly found the matress, sealed inside a vacuum bag to protect from dust and mold, and after moving some things around he managed to drag it towards the ladder. Slowly sliding it down June took hold of it and put it in Jack's room. Mark climbed down, pushed up the attic ladder and went back to Jack's room "I will tell Jack to make some free space in the closet for your clothes. "

"No rush, aunt June. " Mark looked around the room some more. It was nothing special but it felt cozy. A bed plus his new matress, a desk with an old pc on it, chair, a closet, shelves with books and a couple of family pictures "Ummm, aunt June? Mind if I put a nail in the wall here? " he said while pointing at a free area just above his matress.

"Why? You have a photo with you? " she asked in confusion.

"Sort of. " Mark began rummaging through his backpack and pulled out a picture frame and showed it to June.

"What is this? " she asked while looking at the photo. It looked like a map, but of what she didn't know.

"It's the last thing my dad gave to me before he died. " June gave him a comforting smile "He brought it home after some mission to Africa. Said the natives gave it to him as thank you for his help. " he stood beside June and looked at the map as well "He tells me it's a map of their country. Well, their capital slash country. Can't read the letters though. " he pointed to the foreign language on the map "I remember him saying it started with W but I couldn't find anything online. "

"Of course you can hang it up! " June hugged him so tightly almost crushing his ribs.

"T-thanks! " Mark patted her back comfortingly, his aunt overcome by emotions. She released the hug and tried to compose herself, fresh tears still in her eyes.

"I'll go get you a hammer and some nails from the garage. " just as was about to walk, Mark grabbed her arm.

"No,no. I'll go get them, you go take a deserved rest. " she was about to protest but Mark quickly interrupted "I know my way around a garage and besides, I need to check something on my car anyway. " his reassuring smile made June relent. He was just like Sam in that regard.

"Okay. I'll go prepare dinner then. " then gave him a grin "Tofu? "

"Can't wait! " he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and ran out the door. Descending down the stairs he was quick to enter the garage. Luna was still there, obviously.

"Can we go now? " she asked in excitement.

"Just a couple more minutes, need to find a hammer and some nails. " he said while rummaging through the tool box.

"For the map, right? " she knew about the map and how much it meant to him.

"Yep. " he found the hammer, now for the nails.

"Take your time. The road isn't going any- " she stopped mid-sentence when a blip appeared on her radar.

"What's wrong? " he asked in concern.

"And energon signal is closing in. " she said, her voice now a serious one. Mark dropped the hammer.

"Those two? " he asked in anticiption.

"Don't know. " her sensors weren't the best around.

"Scrap. " he quickly spotted a rusty old pipe and grabbed hold of it like a baseball bat.

"They're in the driveway. " they could hear voices outside but couldn't figure who it was. Luna transformed but had to crouch real low so she dosen't destroy the ceiling. She pulled her pistols from their holsters and aimed them straight at the door. Mark raised his pipe and gripped it tighter.

"Aunt June is still inside, we need to get her out. "

"I won't let anything happen to her. " she said in a deathly serious voice. To their surprise, the garage door began opening. Once it opened fully it revealed a surprising sight. There was Jack with a crowbar and next to him a cobalt blue femme aiming their blasters at them. The four stood there looking at each other before realization began to sink in.

"Jack? " Mark lowered the rusty pipe.

"Mark? " Jack said equally bewildered and lowered his weapon of choice.

"Arcee? " the femme spoke and lowered her guns a little.

"Moonracer? " Arcee did the same with her blasters.

"You know each other? " both Jack and Mark said in tandem.

"Yeah. " the femmes responded in tandem as well. Arcee retracted her blasters and Moonracer holstered her pistols.

"Ratchet, false alarm. " Arcee said over her com-link. They couldn't hear the recipient of the message but saw Arcee roll her eyes "Oh it's here alright but I don't have the strength or will to explain right now. I'll see you tomorrow. " she closed the link before Ratchet could finish his sentence.

"Jack, Arcee? Is that you? " all heads turned to the slowly opening door that lead from the garage into the house "I thought I heard transforming sounds comi- " the door opened completely and June saw her son, nephew, Arcee and Moonracer having a mexican standoff. There was silence for about ten seconds.

"Awkward... " Mark said and dropped the pipe to the ground. June was looking at the four and sighed.

"I'll get the coffee started. We have a LOT to talk about. " June left without saying another word. The four had only had one thing to say.

"Frag. "

**A/N**

**Aaaaand chapter two is here. Thought I'd give you guys an insight as to what was happening from Mark's and Luna's perspective in the previous chapter. And also to get you to know the characters a little better.**** Yes I know three hours couldn't have passed between the ice cream and Jack and Arcee returning home or Mark arriving at their house prior to that but just roll with it. I didn't want to write extensive and unnecesarry dialogue just to make time passage accurate.**

**Changed the cover since I found the visuals I was originally looking for. Don't know if it's a Firefox or the fanfiction image editor thing, but I tried adding effects and it won't save, just keeps loading.**

**Anyway, see ya' next time!**


	3. The Talk

**Notes at the bottom, you know the drill by now.**

**Chapter 3: The Talk**

After June made her little entrance, the four decided it was best to close the garage and avoid prying eyes. Luna and Arcee were still in robot mode and sat on the ground while Mark and Jack pulled up a table and three chairs. Somehow they had the feeling this will a long talk. At least now Mark knew who Sadie was.

"So, uhhh... " Mark began while rubbing his eyes "You two know each other? "

"We met way back on Velocitron. " Luna answered and noticed Mark rubbing his eyes. A compartment on her left arm opened and she handed him the box with his glasses "You forgot this earlier. "

"Thanks Luna. " Mark took the box and went on to replace his contacts with his glasses.

"Luna, huh? " Arcee said with a smirk "You two that close already? "

"We've known each other for well over a year, so yeah. " Luna replied and watched Arcee's brow-plate rise slightly "You want to introduce us to your friend? "

"This is Jack, but you already know that. " Arcee said and motioned to Jack who was still processing things. Luna extended her index digit to the boy.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Moonracer. Or Luna, whichever you preffer. " Jack took hold of the mentioned digit and the two _shook hands_ so to say.

"Um, Jack. Nice to meet you too. " Jack looked to his cousin who was done putting on his glasses "Mark, this is Arcee. " the femme decided to copy Luna and extended her own digit in greeting.

"Hi. " she said simply as Mark _shook hands_ with her.

"Nice to meet you. Say, do they call you RC for short? " his little quip didn't amuse the femme "Wow, tough crowd. Anyway, now that the awkwardness is mostly gone, how long have _you_ two known eachother? "

"A few weeks or so. School has just started. " Jack explained and Mark nodded.

"Guess I'm late to that party. " Mark said and scratched his cheek "Soooo, are there more of you here? I'm assuming there are since you were talking to someone and Ratchet isn't really a human name. "

"Hatchet is here? " Luna's head turned to Arcee and Jack had to snicker at the nickname.

"You know him too? " Mark asked and crossed his arms "Looks like I'm the odd one out here... "

"He was with Optimus when they arrived on Velocitron. He's a grumpy old bot but his spark's in the right place. " Luna explained before crossing her own arms "Doesn't really like us Wreckers though. "

"You're a Wrecker? " Jack asked in surprise.

"What's so surprising? " Luna countered with a frown.

"Well, it's just... " Jack looked for the right words "Wreckers are usually- "

"Big, tough and bulky? I got that a lot ever since I joined their ranks. " Luna puffed in annoyance "Trust me, I'm a Wrecker. "

"Easy there Moonracer, he didn't mean anything by it. " Arcee defended her partner and shot Luna an angry glare.

"I'm sorry Moonracer. " Jack apologized and Luna sighed.

"No, I'm sorry. It's just, everyone I've met thinks of me as this fragile little femme and it's driving me peanuts! "

"It's nuts, Luna. " Mark corrected but it was lost on the light blue femme.

"I know right? " she threw her arms up, almost smashing them into the ceiling "And I'm the best sharpshooter in the galaxy! " Luna added rather proudly.

"Ummm, not to sound rude or anything- " Jack began a bit timidly "-but isn't that kinda' easy with the targeting systems Cybertronians have? " he was ready for another outburst from Luna but was met with a simple answer.

"I don't have them. " Luna's answer caught him by surprise "On Velocitron all that mattered was speed and so we were born with no internal weapons at all, therefore, no targeting systems. "

"Then how do you aim those guns? " Jack looked at her holstered pistols, a little intimidated by their size, not even wanting to imagine what one bullet could do to a human. They were a dark gray in color and reminded Jack of the gun RoboCop carries, however, the design was more streamlined. The handle was slightly curved and he could see the magazine showing a little. The barrel was long and the bullet hole looked like a rounded triangle.

"The old fashioned way. " Luna pulled out one of her guns, spinned it around before holstering it again.

"I will not have guns out in my home! " June made her presence known with an angry shout directed at the light blue femme.

"Sorry, Mrs. Darby. " Luna said timidly and looked at the floor "It won't happen again. " Arcee was surprised her fellow Autobot backed down like that. There has to be more to this but she'll leave the subject for now.

"It better not. " June placed three mugs of coffee on the table before sitting down herself "So, you mind explaining? "

"Aunt June, this is Moonracer. " Mark motioned to Luna who waved shyly "Luna, this is my aunt June. " Luna extended her digit to a confused June but the woman accepted the gesture. June then looked to Mark.

"Why do you call her Luna? "

"I don't know. "Mark scratched the back of his head "Our Moon is called Luna in some languages and one day it just came out and it stuck. " he answered sheepishly.

"Well then, Moonracer, it's nice to meet you. " June said with a smile and Luna brightened up a little.

"You can call me Luna if you want. " the femme said returning the smile.

"Seems like Luna is your thing. " June answered while looking between Mark and said femme "Does your mother know about her? " the question seemed to make Luna flinch a little but only Arcee noticed.

"No! Are you kidding? She'd freak out! " Mark said in a bit of a panic "Please don't tell her! "

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with us. " Jack joined in "Right, mom? "

"I mean, she is your mother- "

"Aunt June, if you have any love for your nephew you will NOT tell my mom! " Mark was practically begging at this point.

"We're a government secret June. " Arcee joined in as well "Wouldn't want to cause Fowler trouble, would you now? "

"Did you even call her to say you arrived safely? " June's question made Mark's eyes widen.

"Oh shit! " before June could scold him for his language, Mark was out the door calling his mom.

"Just like his dad. " June shook her head with amusement "That man would have forgotten his head if it weren't attached to his body. "

"Tell me about it. " Luna joined in "Sometimes I feel like his personal assistant. "

"Speaking of, how did you two meet? " June looked at the femme and awaited an answer.

"It's kind of a funny story, actually. " Luna chuckled to herself "He wanted to cut me apart. "

"WHAT? " all three almost jumped from their places.

"It's not what you think! " Luna quickly waved her servos to calm them "His sixteenth birthday was coming up and he convinced his mom to let him buy a car. Now meanwhile I just landed on Earth and hid in the local junkyard, going into power saving mode. "

"I'll explain later. " Arcee said to the confused Jack and June.

"According to Mark, it was either me or a beat up old Dodge. Keep in mind I didn't look my best either. " she looked over various scratch marks, little dents and dirt here and there "I still don't look my best but that's beside the point. " she waved her hand and continued "Mark picked me, saying something about a gut feeling. " Luna smiled at the memory "He took me to his home and once he lit his blow torch to start his restauration project, my alarms went off and I went into robot mode right on the spot. " one could only imagine his surprise when that happened "After the inital shock, things calmed down and we got to talking. I told him all about my kind and the Civil War, he told me to stay hidden until we find more Autobots since humans weren't really ready for alien contact. One thing lead to another and we've been friends ever since. " everyone nodded in understanding, seeing the story a little funny now. Just then Mark walked in.

"My mom says hi. " Jack and June nodded in thanks and the two femmes remained still since Charlie didn't know about Luna and Arcee "What'd I miss? "

"Luna was just telling us how you two met. " Arcee aswered "It's quite the story. "

"Tell me you didn't tell the part where I peed myself? " he askedand got his answer when Jack, June and Arcee began laughing "Guess not... " Mark's cheeks went red from embarrasement and he sat down. But his woe's were soon to end as Arcee grinned wickedly at Jack.

"Go on Jack. " Jack's smile vanished instantly "Tell them how we met, don't leave anything out. " this got the attention of everyone else.

"Now that I think about it, you never told me that story. " June said in amusement "Why is that? "

"Not important. " Jack answered quickly, his cheeks getting a little red. Arcee saw this as the perfect opportunity to strike and mess with her partner a little.

"Not important? Jack, you told me you love me. " Arcee said in mock hurt "Do I mean that little to you? "

"YOU WHAT? " Mark almost fell from his chair, June sat there with a dumbfounded expression and Luna was snickering to herself.

"It's not funny! " Jack said a little angrier than he wanted.

"You have NO idea how funny it is! " Mark had tears in his eyes. Honestly, at this point, June had to keep from laughing herself so to not embarrass her son more.

"Jack, honey, what happened? " June, to her credit, was trying really hard not to laugh. She suspected there was a funny story behind it anyway.

"Yes, honey. "Arcee said with a smirk "Tell them. " all eyes and optics were on the raven-haired boy. Said boy took a deep breath and decided to get this over with.

"Fine! I just finished my shift at KO Burger, went outside and saw her parked there. I thought she looked nice and it kinda slipped out, okay? " he crossed his arms, cheeks red as a tomato.

"I remember a girl being there. " Arcee pushed on "Sierra, was it? " Jack really hoped the ground beneath would open up and swallow him. Mark quickly connected the dots.

"You didn't... "

"I said the bike was mine... " Jack said quietly, shrinking in his seat "And got on... " Mark and Luna were laughing again, Arcee and June held back but it was obvious "Then two Decepticons arrived, Arcee drove off with me still sitting there and that's how this whole thing started. " Jack finished, the laughter gone once they heard the rest of the story.

"You were attacked? " June went helicopter-mom "Why didn't you say anything? "

"What was I supposed to say? Giant robots from space chased me through town? " Jack asked agitated.

"Watch your tone young man. " June interrupted "You could have said something. "

"It's in the past now, so... " Jack shrugged his shoulders and to his relief, the story was over.

"So, aunt June, how'd you get mixed up in all this? There a fun story behind that too? " seeing the three tense up gave Mark his answer "Apparently not. What happened? "

"Airachnid. " Arcee growled out the name. Luna heard about her and immediately knew it wasn't good that psycho femme was here.

"Who's that? " Mark looked to Luna who didn't respond.

"A deranged psychopath who wants nothing more than to see me suffer. " Arcee responded with anger "She thought it would be a good idea to get to Jack and I by kidnapping June. "

"You were kidnapped? " Mark looked horrified.

"That was a day I'll never forget. " June said somberly "But it was also the day I met the girl my son was spending so much time with. " she smiled at the femme "And I have to say I was not disappointed. "

"Thanks June, that means a lot. " Arcee returned the smile.

"Wow... " Mark was surprised by this revelation "Can you imagine Nightracer and Barricade kindnapping my mom? "

"Knowing Charlie, she'd tear them a new one. " June laughed, knowing her sister-in-law was, for lack of a better word, a badass.

"Wait, Barricade's here? " Arcee sounded alarmed by this.

"Unfortunately, yes. " Luna answered "Don't know if you had the displeasure of meeting Nightracer, but just like Airachnid did with you, they decided to make my life a living Pit. "

"Who's Barricade? " Jack asked.

"A Decepticon enforcer. Very skilled and very strong. " Arcee beagn explaining "If he's here then we got trouble. "

"And Nightracer? " June asked.

"A Decepticon sniper. " Luna began explaining "She's also from Velocitron and has always been my rival up until the war started. Nightracer always challenged me to race her but she lost everytime. " she said with a little swagger in her voice "Guess she decided to beat me in other things once she found out I joined the Autobots. "

"She went for the wrong side then. " Arcee commented.

"I think she wanted to really shove it in my face. " Luna continued thoughtfully "Nightracer was convinced the Decepticons would win the war and saw that as an opportunity to show me she was superior after all. "

"Sounds a bit extreme. " June added her own opinion.

"Are humans so different? " all eyes turned to Mark "Just look at the news broadcasts. I'm surprised Earth hasn't ended up like Cybertron already. "

"That's kinda' dark don't you think? " Jack asked.

"Think about it JD. " Mark began explaining "As far back as we know: war, executions, deception, treason, petty disputes, the dark ages, two world wars, nuclear weapons, terrorists, Justin Bieber. " he had to stop for breath "All I'm saying is, the world can't take much more and knowing what we know- " he said pointing to Arcee and Luna "-if word gets out to the public, what do you think's gonna' happen? " Jack didn't respond "Chaos. The realization that we are not alone in the universe is not something the world can handle right now. And them being giant robots from space will only add fuel to the fire. People still freak out when a new roomba comes out thanks to Terminator. "

"I see your point. " Jack then argued back "But what if this turns out good? You know, makes us more humble? Accept that we are not the center of the universe? Perhaps it'll even unite the world against the Decepticons. "

"Or against all Cybertronians. " Mark added.

"We don't know that. " Jack countered.

"Let me ask you this. " Mark leaned forward "About one-third of the world's population believes some all-powerful God made us, in his image no less. " Jack realised where he was going with this as Mark looked at the two femmes "Then who made them? " everyone was quiet in thought though the answer was known "See where I'm going with this? And it's not just religion, it's everything else too. Politics: _we_ make the rules. Science: let's play dissect the bot'. Military: give us _your_ weapons. Have you learned nothing from movies? " Jack snorted at his argument "Laugh all you want but movies say what we all think but never say or do. "

"Why are you so negative? " June felt as if he was in some way attacking her son.

"I'm trying to be realistic. " Mark rubbed his temples "Look what we did to the natives of these lands back in the good ol' days. Or any other less developed societies for that matter. They were practically wiped out, enslaved, or if lucky, integrated in our societies. Imagine an advanced alien species of 20 foot tall robots making an appearance. They wouldn't be seen as allies but as a possible threat. And we deal with threats by throwing bombs at them. " Jack was about to respond but June cut in.

"Okay, that's enough! " she decided to put an end to the discussion "We were having a nice talk and now this happened. "

"Downside of living in the Big Apple I suppose. " Mark said nonchalantly "Makes you see things certain ways. "

"Well you're in Jasper now so no more of that doomsday talk, okay? " June said sternly.

"Yes, aunt June. " Mark replied with a smile and decided to drop the subject. For now...

"I liked you better when you made sex jokes. " Jack commented with a smile of his own.

"Oh I got those by the dozen, don't you worry. " he said waving his hand dismissively.

"Umm, June? " Luna asked carefully to get the woman's attention.

"Yes Moonracer? "

"I know it's kinda' late but could Mark and I go for a drive? " June raised a questioning brow "My servos are killing me, I've been driving for hours and could really use a walk. "

"Can we go too? " Jack asked his mother.

"I don't know... " June was a little hesistant since it was way past curfew.

"Some bonding time for your two favorite boys. " Mark added in a sing-song. All eyes were now on June.

"Well... It is Sunday tomorrow and no school- " she was enveloped in a crushing hug by Mark and Jack.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! " June smiled at the two boys and Arcee and Luna were already in vehicle form ready to go.

"I want you back in one hour! " she said to Arcee as the boys went to their respective partners, Jack pressing the button to open the garage doors.

"Two. " Arcee countered, engine revving already.

"One and a half. Take it or leave it. " June said with a glare and jumped a little when Luna ignited her engine.

"We'll take it! " Mark said through the open window. Both femmes backed-out of the garage.

"BE SAFE! " June really hope she wouldn't get noise complaints from the neighbors.

"ALWAYS AM! " Jack yelled back as he followed fater Mark and Luna. June just shook her head and chuckled.

"Boys... " She looked at the three coffee mugs on the table "Why did I even bother making coffee? "

_Outside of Jasper..._

The deserts of Nevada. Nothing but sand and open fields as far as the eye can see. A few mountains and rocks her and there but that didn't ruin anything for Luna.

"Ooooh yeah, that's the spot. " she said happily while stretching her servos every way she possibly could "I like driving but I _really_ needed this. " her servos cracked and popped, relieving the pent up pressure. The two humans were several feet away to give the femmes some space.

"You earned it Luna. " Mark said with a smile and pulled out a small plastic cup with a lid on it with pills inside. Luna saw him holding the cup and a compartment on her right arm opened. She pulled out a bottle of the liquid Mark was drinking earlier in the day and handed it to him "Thanks. " he said taking the bottle.

"That's a lot of pills. " Arcee said while remembering what Jack told her about Mark's condition.

"There's a lot wrong with me. " he popped the lid and gulped the pills in one go, quickly following with the drink "Ew... "

"How often do you need to take them? " Jack asked as Mark put away the little cup.

"Three times a day. " Mark answered simply and took another drink, grimacing again "Hey Luna? Can I ask you something? " the femme stopped her stretches and walked closer to the boys.

"You know you can ask me anything. " she responded with a smile.

"There's a question that's bugged me ever since I met you. " Mark sounded a little uncomfortable "And now that I've met Arcee, I just have to ask. " Luna crouched to have a better look at him. It was already dark and the only light they had was from the Moon and the stars shining above them "Where does it all go? " this question confused the others.

"Where does what go? " Luna had no idea what he was talking about.

"When you change forms, where do the extra parts go? " now she understood.

"Are you calling me fat, Mark? " she asked, a smirk forming on her metallic lips.

"NO! No, no, no! You're not fat, I never said that! Actually, you look really good! Not that I Iook but- " Mark stopped once he heard Luna snickering "Well played. "

"Thanks. " Luna then rose to her full height, 18 feet of Cybertronian femme, standing right in front of him.

"It's just, I always found it odd since there is no way all of that- " he gestured to all of Luna "-could fit into a 69' Corvette. And seeing Arcee it makes even less sense to me. " said femme only rolled her eyes in response. It was strange how a 15 foot tall Cybetronian amazon warrior could squeeze herself down to an Aprillia RSV 1000.

"Do you know what a T-Cog is? " Luna asked.

"You might have mentioned it a few times. " Mark addmited but couldn't really remember what it actually was.

"Simply put, in human terms, it's an organ that allows us to change forms. " Luna began explaining "All T-Cogs were modeled after the one owned by Amalgamous Prime, the first shifter. " both Mark and Jack were following intesively "The exact details are unknown, since the topic is pretty much unexplored, but the T-Cog can access something called Sub-Space. "

"A pocket dimension where all the _extra parts_ go. " Arcee added with quotation marks.

"So basically you can be a Smart? " Mark asked and Luna shook her head.

"Not exactly. The vehicle form we choose must be somewhat close in size and mass to our bipedal forms. " then she realized something "And why would I want to transform into a Smart? "

"Can't you modify it? " now it was Jack's turn for a question "It would make things easier. "

"Like Moonracer said, it's unexplored territory, and honestly, I don't think anyone bothered with it. " Arcee said shrugging her shoulders "Perhaps fearing it would do more harm than good, they left it alone. "

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it. " Luna finished and hoped Mark was satisfied with the answer.

"Thanks for explaining. I was just curious. " Mark replied with a smile.

"So, what do you say about a race? " Arcee asked Luna and the latter almost jumped from joy.

"What do you think? Yes! " Luna transformed to vehicle mode and revved the engine so loud it was probably heard all the way to Jasper. If anything can get a Velocitronian hyped it's the mention of a race. The whole planet was basically a giant race track.

"Eager as ever I see. " Arcee smirked and transformed as well "C'mon partner, I have a long overdue score to settle. " Jack grinned ear to ear and ran to Arcee and got on the seat.

"Just out of curiosity, how fast can you go Arcee? " Mark asked while slowly approaching Luna's open driver-side door, ready to go.

"182 is our current record. " Jack announced proudly.

"Then I'm out. " Mark closed Luna's door and her engine quieted down significantly.

"What? Why? " Jack wondered from his seat.

"If Arcee can go 182, Luna will have to step it up to at least 185 and I tend to puke my guts out before 180. " Mark took a few steps back "You three go have fun. "

"I'm not leaving you out here alone! " Luna said in protest and transformed.

"Did you forget that conversation we had on the ride to Jasper? " he really did feel bad for all the things she had to skip because of him.

"And it seems you forgot what I told you. " Luna crouched down to be at eye-level "We do things together. "

"We don't have to do this right now. " Arcee said from where she was now standing in her bipedal form "You'll be in school on Monday. "

"I won't tell Vince you chickened out again. " Jack winked at his cousin who snorted.

"Whaterver you say, lover boy. " Mark's got the exact reaction he expected as Jack's face reddened and the boy found the ground to be very interesting. Luna gave Mark a comforting smile.

"Let's just take a walk. That's what we came here for in the first place, right? " Luna rose up and began walking in a random direction "C'mon! Time's a' wastin'! " Arcee decided to follow and the two femmes began talking about days past. Mark and Jack looked at each other and decided to follow, commenting on who would actually win betwen Arcee and Luna. The two femmes knew the answer already but why not just enjoy a good race between friends.

"So... " Mark said to Jack "You told her you love her and got on top. " Jack face-palmed "You sure work fast JD. "

_Sometime later at Jack's house..._

The four returned home just in time as their extended curfew expired. Closing the garage doors the boys bid the femmes good night and left to their room.

"Hey, I almost forgot to ask. " Luna began and Arcee's side-mirror turned slightly towards Luna "Who else is here? "

"It's me, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Optimus. "

"Bulkhead's here? " Luna said excitedly "I haven't played lobbed in ages! "

"That's who you're excited to see? " Arcee asked in surprise.

"Well, our great leader is nice too but Bulkhead is a good friend. " Luna said sheepishly.

"Just try not to make a mess. " Arcee sighed and continued "Ratchet gets really mad when Bulk and Wheeljack break something. "

"Jackie's here too? " now that was a welcome surprise "The gang's back together! "

"He comes to visit from time to time. " Arcee explained "We can call him, tell him you're here. " then added with a chuckle "Three Wreckers would drive Ratchet insane. "

"One day, we'll get that grump to lob with us. " Luna announced with determination, making Arcee chuckle. Now that would truly be a day to remember.

_Meanwhile inside the house..._

Jack and Mark just left the garage and were ready to go to bed. But as soon as they did, June called them from the kitchen. The duo entered the kitchen and saw June putting away some dirty dishes.

"Mark. " said teen stood to attention and saluted, making Jack snicker. June smiled and rolled her eyes in the process "I wanted to talk to you about something. "

"Yes, Luna is registered with the DMV. No need to worry. " Jack looked at him in confusion "Fun story, tell you another time. "

"That's good to hear Mark. " June said with a chuckled "But that's not it. Look, I know you're a guest here but we're still tight with money right now- "

"You want me to get a job. " Mark said flatly.

"Yes. I was going to ask Jack if he could help you find a job at KO Burger. "

"No. No way. " he replied adamantly making June give him a look. You know, _the _look "It's not that I don't want to work, and I've been meaning to ask around, but I will not give out bilogical waste to people. It would be a waste of my talents. " he finished with a smug grin.

"Really? " June asked with a raised brow "And what would those talents be? "

"I'm a mechanic. "

"You're in high-school. " Jack countered to which Mark simply waved him off.

"Details. "

"Well then, Mr. Mechanic, are you any good? " June asked while crossing her arms.

"The best. Mom taught me everything she knows. " he answered proudly, puffing out his chest a little.

"Well, I could ask Raf to talk to his dad about giving you some work. He's got the only shop in town. " Jack suggested and June nodded in approval.

"You two can ask him tomorrow at the Autobot base. " June seemed to be satisfied with the situation.

"We're going to the base? " Mark asked a little confused.

"Well, yeah. It's Sunday, what else are we supposed to do? " Jack said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I dunno'. Laze around? "Mark really wanted to meet the other Autobots but truth be told, he felt like he was going to sleep through Sunday, that's how tired he was.

"Go to the base, have fun. " June reassured them "And I promise I won't bother you and Arcee tomorrow so you can hang out, okay? " she said to her son who smiled.

"You're not bothering us mom. " Jack reassured her.

"Oh please Jack, I know I can get a bit- "

"Apache Helicopter Mom? " Mark joined in making Jack snort and his aunt rolling her eyes.

"But it's because I care and I don't want anything to happen to you. " June finished and patted Jack's cheek and then looked at Mark "Same goes for you young man. As long as you're here, you follow the same rules as Jack does. "

"Yes ma'am! " Mark saluted.

"Alright, now, off to bed! " une clapped her hands and the two boys bid June goodnight. Ascending the stairs they reached Jack's room and went inside. June has already put a bedsheet, pillow and a light cover on the matress.

"You take the bed, I'll take the floor. " Jack went toward the improvised bedding but Mark grabbed his shoulder.

"The floor is mine. " Mark said sternly.

"You're the guest, I take the floor. " Jack countered, crossing his arms.

"I'm the guest, I get to pick. " Mark tried to look intimidating. It's not very effective...

"And this is my room, I make the rules. " Jack stood his ground.

"Don't make me call your mom! " Mark raised his voice.

"Don't make me call yours! " Jack followed.

"I'm serious JD! " Mark closed the distance.

"So am I, Stainer! " Jack stepped forward.

"Low blow, lover boy! " forheads almost touching.

"BED! NOW! " June yelled from the kitchen, lights were out, pyjamas were on, Jack was in the bed, Mark on the floor and all was quiet. After about ten seconds the boys began snickering and laughter followed soon.

"You almost had me there. " Mark said quietly.

"Nah, you're pretty stubborn. " Jack replied quietly as well. They were supposed to be sleeping.

"True, true... " Mark crossed his arms behind his head "You know, this turned out pretty good actually. "

"The sleeping arrangements? " Jack asked, propping himself on his elbow to better see Mark below. Well, as best as you could in the dark.

"That too, and honestly, I preffer harder matresses. But no, I mean the Cybertronian situation. " Jack nodded in understanding "Now we can hang out together and I wouldn't have to sneak out or lie about where I'm going. "

"Been there. " Jack said, remembering all the excuses he had to make to his mom "Oh, If anyone asks where you disappear to, you're going to your Science Fiction Club. Highly exclusive. "

"You don't say? " Mark chuckled "Duly noted. My excuses were always the same: parts hunting. "

"You're really a good mechanic? " Jack asked and could her Mark mutter in confirmation "It usually takes people years to learn that stuff. "

"I've had a lot of time on my hands. " Mark answered nonchalantly.

"Uh, sorry. " Jack felt bad about reminding him about his illness to which he spent a lot of time in the hospital.

"JD, please don't walk on eggshells around me. " Mark sighed in frustration "Yes, I'm sick and it sucks but I won't break if someone mentiones it. I know which things to watch out for and take care of myself so just pretend I'm dandy and all will be well. "

"If you say so. "

"I do. And I'm the older cousin so what I say, goes. " Jack could barely see Mark smiling through the darkness.

"Then I won't tell anyone at the base you're sick. " Jack offered and Mark nodded.

"And I'll relay the message to Luna and Arcee. "

"You two are really close, aren't you? " Jack asked and Mark hummed in thought.

"Yeah, I guess we are. " he said thoughtfully "She's my best friend, don't know what I'd do without her. "

"I kinda feel the same about Arcee. " the raven-haired teen replied "If it weren't for her I'd still be this shy and awkward teen dressed like an 80's grunge band memeber. "

"You're still dressed like that. " Mark said and it made Jack chuckle.

"It's funny how things changed. " Jack said thoughtfully "I remember you quite differently and here you are, all puberty and tall. "

"Don't forget charming. "

"Debatable. "

"I suppose it is an accquiered taste. "

"But, like you said- " Jack laid back on his bed "-things turned out pretty good. "

"Just need to live through high school. " he could almost feel Jack wince "I meant figuratively. "

"Right, I knew that. " Jack said, obviously busted.

"Sure you did. " Mark then yawned loudly "Well I'm done for the day. See you in the morning. Night. "

"Good night Mark. " Jack turned his back to Mark and went to sleep. Not even five seconds passed and Jack heard some rustling below his bed "There's no porn under there. "

"I was just checking for monsters. "

"Sure you did. " Jack went to sleep that night with a smile on his face. The future will be good.

* * *

**A/N**

**Chapter 3 is out, yaaay!**

**Took some liberties with the lore history and I am not ashamed. Nightracer is not an OC but I took some liberties with her character as well. We all know Barricade though...**

**Went a little grim there with Mark but that's to show his view on the world. He's not really thrilled about humanity as a whole.**

**If anyone's wondering, if Mark and Luna had voice actors I'd choose Stephen Amell and Gal Gadot. Stephen's voice fits the characterof Mark and Gal did an amazing job voicing Shank in Wreck It Ralph 2. Hmmm... Shank as Luna's holoform? Thoughts?**

**Another thing, the story will be set in 2010, when the show started airing, and due to some plot reasons.**

**Special shout-out to Arcturus-Lightbringer! You know what you did! :)**

**I tried describing Luna's weapons a little but here's the actual reference I'm using. The image link is actually dead but google images for "futuristic pistol" and it should be the first one. It has M-13 MANTA written on the barrel.**

**Aaaaand I think that's it. Favorite and follow if you like this story and leave your thoughts in the reviews.**

**See ya' next time!**


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